INTRODUCTION
Recently, one of the senior scholars of Egypt was invited to address a group of young female high-school students. His gaze fell on a girl who was wearing a face-veil (niqab). This annoyed the Shaykh and he proceeded to ask the supercilious girl to remove her veil. The girl refused to comply, claiming that it was her habit to cover her face in front of strangers. The Shaykh immediately retorted “The niqab is nothing but culture – it has absolutely no place whatsoever with the religion of Islam.”

The Shaykh repeated his command and added, in a crude Egyptian dialect, “…and I know the religion better than you your parents.” A teacher also tried to intervene and said to the Shaykh that it was only because of his presence that the young lady was veiling her face. But the Shaykh insisted that the veil be removed. Finally, the young girl had to give in the senior most authority and helplessly unveiled herself.

The Shaykh was still not satisfied and humiliated the innocent girl further buy saying in a crude expression Egyptian vernacular “Ama law kunti hilwa shuwaya la-amilti eh?” (If you had even a little beauty I wonder what you would have done?)

He then went on and threatened to banish the niqaab in all public schools affiliated with Al-Azhar. We were also horrified to hear that a month prior to this incident, girls who had their faces covered were not allowed to enter Al-Azhar.

STATEMENT
We, the Ulama of South Africa, take exception to all that has transpired. Not only is there mention of the covering of the face in the Quran, Hadith and works of scholars from all four Madhabs, this has also been the continued practise of Muslims for the past fourteen centuries. We implore the scholars and government of Egypt to ponder over these evidences and reconsider whether they really want to ban the Niqab.

We pray that Allah the Almighty guide’s one and all and show us the truth as truth. Ameen.

ALMONDS: To remove the skin of almonds easily soak them in hot water for 15-20 minutes.

ANTS: Putting 3-4 cloves in the sugar container will keep the ants at bay.

BISCUITS: If you keep a piece of blotting paper at the bottom of the container, it will keep biscuits fresh for longer.

APPLES: Apply some lemon juice on the cut surface of the apple to avoid browning.They will look fresh for longer.

BANANA: Apply mashed banana over a burn on your body to have a cooling effect.

CELERY: To keep celery fresh for a long time,wrap it in aluminium foil and refrigerate.

BURNT FOOD: Place some chopped onion in the vessel,pour boiling water in it, keep for 5 minutes and then clean.

CHOPPING: Use a wooden board to chop. It will not blunt the knife. Don't use a plastic board, small plastic pieces may go with the vegetables.

COCKROACHES: Put some boric powder in kitchen corners and other places. Cockroaches will leave your house.

The United Ulama Council of South Africa sent a delegation to Chinaon the invitation of the Chinese government. The Ameer of the Council of Ulama Eastern Cape, Moulana Junaid Adam was in the delegation.

Read the full report of the trip by clicking here.

THE PERFUME SELLER AND HIS PARROT

There was once a person who use to sell perfumes. He owned a parrot which could talk. The parrot would greet and speak to  every customer who would enter the shop. The customers were very amazed and would come time and again to purchase perfume only to speak to the parrot. Children would drag their parents to this shop just to witness the parrot talking.

One night the owner forgot to lock the parrot in the cage. Sometime during the night the parrot the parrot heard a cat and panicked. It started flying around the shop knocking down all the perfume bottles and spilling all the perfume. The next morning when the owner entered the shop he became extremely angry and he hit the parrot on the head until its hair fell out and it became bald. From that day on the parrot did not speak a word.

Customers would enter the shop and hope to hear the parrot saying something but the parrot would not say anything. Slowly the customers started coming less until the business was close to collapse. One day a bald person came into the shop and the parrot noticing his bad head said “Did you also break your master's perfume bottles because of which he hit you on your head and you became bald?"

According to Islam
For ages gone by, the 5th of November was a night in which the sky becomes illuminated with an array of colours, ears are deafened by the great magnitude of sounds and the streets are blackened by the burning of tyres.
• Where do these practices originate from?
• Why the 5th of November?
• Why the burning of fireworks, crackers and tyres?

Guy Fawkes was an English conspirator of Roman Catholic ideologies. He was implicated in the GunpowderPlot to blow up the British Parliament as a protest against anti-Roman Catholic laws. On the night of November 4-5, 1605, he was caught in a cellar underneath the House of Lords and arrested. He together with his accomplices were hanged.

Guy Fawkes Day is celebrated on November 5 in the United Kingdom and some other parts of the British Commonwealth with bonfires and fireworks. (Adapted from Encarta Encyclopaedia)

AS MUSLIMS WHAT DOES OUR RELIGION TELL US:
Allah Ta’aala has mentioned: “Whoever seeks a religion (way of life) other than Islam, it will never be accepted from him and he will be from the loses in the Hereafter.” (Surah Al-e-Imraan V.85)